Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-06-03
PUT 1T UNDER THE LENS.
How ParneIi May Discover VINO
Forged the Letter-Ihe microscope
Useful for That Purpose-facts
About This Valuable Instrument.

letter The LondJn Times published TINS
week-the same way we detected inc
famous Morey letter." remarked Proi'
John Phin in the hearing of Mai ana
Express reporter. Prof. Phen is
leading authority on microscopy ana
was the man who detected with mi
croscope the fraudulent forgery OF Ten
Garfeld's signature to the Morey let
ter. The talk led TO the subject OF
and its recent development
here. The professor says that micro
scopic societies are now feature OF
nearly every large city in the union.
The interest in the study has increased
many fold the past few years. and now
all classes of persons take the most ac-
tive interest in it. lawyers. merchants
and clergymen. study rs zealouSly ana
make as close research rs physicians
and scientific men, to whom i is a pro-
fessional matter. Some OF the best stu
dents are amateurs. and the president
of the New York society is clergy
man. This society has upward OF one
hundred members and meets twice
month. Often at these meeting rs eighty
10 one hundred tables are prepared
each with microscope and novel sub
ject for examination.
The ladies, especially, are taking
great interest in the study added the
professor, land they are wonderfully
adapted, by botl taste and delicacy OF
touch. for the work. Why, we have
in tn country what Europe does not
have. a microscopic society composed
wholly of women. This is at the
Wesleyan Female college in Massa-
chusetts. 1t j., too. very ilourlshinS
BODY. We have also, nowadays. pro-
fess .onal microscopic analysis. There
are probably twenty-five or thirty in
this city. They are kept busy examin-
nr into authorizations of fool, and in
forgerics their work is most impor-
tant. The fact is. as an instrument OF
research, the microscope is second TO
none There is hardly any department
of science in which student can hope
TO reach eminence without familiar
ily W tn this instrument In chemistry
its services have been very important,
and in geology and mineralogy it has
opened up new fields of research,
which almost promise to reyolutionizc
these sciences. One OF the most inn
portant of recent changes brought
about in u practical way by the micro
scope is in brewing. By it low form
of animal life has been discovered.
which rot. the beer, and measures
have been taken TO exclude this.
There are two mistakes made by be-
rinners in the study winch should be
avoided One is in surprising that it
is only 10y means of very expensive and
complicated instruments that anyth nS
of value can be accomplished Now,
while it is certain that in some depart
ments of study none but the very best
microscopes are of any value, it IS
equally certain that a very wide range
of study and of pract cal work can be
thoroughly cultivated by IN ans OF ap-
para.us Of very moderate cost and OF
great implicitly OF construction. The
great Il scoveries of Gutenberg, which
at the most would not command S25
The other mistake is of prec sely the
opposite kind 1t is not al all unusua
to meet persons who seem to think tina
all tina: is necessary in order to become
microscopic is to buy croscopc
and place objects under it. Truth lies
between these extremes. No progress
can bc made without steady applica
ton and persistent labor, but any per
SON of fair average lily and mod
crate degree of perseverance can sooi
learn to follow the beaten track. a
least. if not to branch out into oiigl
nal research.
"What are some of the most curiUu
fact. YOU know about microscopic
well. probably the most wonderfu
was the writing of WEBB and Peters
, They wrote the Lord PRAYER and tn
commandments with diamond in LET
tiers so fine that if the whole bible wer
written. and in same proportion,
q might be written twelve times on
a square inch. This writing | have my
: self seen, and believe one such Slid
i. is in the army museum at Washingto
d. at the present time. have the Lord
+ PRAYER written in letters so smd tina
. if the whole bible were written in ii
y same proportion it could be put on tt
!. half of postal-card. have also Il
: Declaration of independence, the fran
= work OF which is composed of portra
q of the signers reduced so small By m
10 photography that to the naked e,
I, it is no larger than pinhead. One
- the most celebrated uses 10 VIII ch Il
,e microscope has been put was duril
the Franco-Prussian war. IL was ca
rs enough to 90 out Of Paris, you l
- member, by balloons. but very d. ificr